This Was April — Steadily Mobbing

Bet you didn't expect me to have my April roundup posted by the fifth day of May, did you? Well, I did! The secret: Breaking April up into a lot of sub-posts--this is the post for nothing that became a sub-post, although some of this definitely could have.

Started April off by going to Andy's house to listen to the Priesthood Session of General Conference (before running up to Boston the next day to meet up with my folks). Andy's for General Conference with Chicken McNuggets and fries, this is becoming quite a tradition.

This is Andy laughing when he heard someone was named "Gaylynn" in a story in one of the talks.

A big change at the old new apartment: I have a rug now. It looks oranger than this in real life, but you get the idea.

Then one Friday: I meet up with Steve to walk around Harlem a bit, looking at trees grown through fences and stuff, and then go up and check out his studio in the Bronx.

Meanwhile, in Midtown, they're still skating at Rockefeller Center

Although the new art installation suggests summer is around the corner?

Ironic iconography at Salvation Burger

And the Lady of Guadalupe and I have definitely had our ups and downs before but now that we're neighbors we're getting along better.

Now here's something big: Harlem neighbors Kelsey, Amy and Nico invited me one Saturday morning on a major day trip to check out West Point and return to Storm King. I liked West Point a ton, we had a good tour of a little bit of the campus that definitely left me wanting to see a lot more.

Down the hill there? Just some cadets practicing their Irish dancing

Seems awfully un-American how much trouble Army wishes on Navy

Post-campus (and burritos), a quick visit to the Military Museum. Time was short, so we focussed on the weapon exhibits.

Then it was a quick drive over to Storm King for a whirlwind walk to its farthest points and back.

Richard Serra balance-beaming

I hadn't seen the mirror fence before. Mirror fence makes quite the optical illusion.

Back to more art!

Nailed it!

Before returning to the city we were headed for a Hagen Daz that had turned up on our maps until we came across this far more American opportunity

Another day, a daytime Soho walk

A terrible bummer of a discovery: Peep on Spring street has been shut down. I don't think there's a restaurant I've been to more in the city. I think I've taken absolutely every visitor I ever had here. I remember the first time I walked by it and looking in at its shiny, space age hipness and thinking "Oh, I probably can't eat here" but no, we wound up having quite a history, Peep and I.

Okay, let's finish this walk on a happier note...

Some evening in the lobby with Ned

One afternoon I meet up with Lexia and her girls for one last visit before Lexia and Adam move off to Maine (with their daughters, of course). Having arrived at New York at the same time, it's a nostalgia-stirring loss to see Lexia go. Whatever happened to 2003?

On a Saturday night I check out the big Enchantment Under the Stars gala to raise money to send kids away for the summer. If there's anything I'll support, it's definitely sending kids away!

One weekday I find myself handling a little business downtown, followed by my first visit to the Oculus, which was kind of tricky to find an entrance to.